


Solar Eclipse

by ivylikeveins



Series: Solar Eclipse-Ring of Fire [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternative Universe- Kingdoms, Falling In Love, Fluff and Smut, Huddling For Warmth, ILV's Solar Eclipse-Verse, Intimacy, M/M, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rated for future chapters, Sharing Body Heat, Size Difference, Sun and Moon Elements, Survival Instincts, The Lunar Village, The Solar Village, smut to come
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:40:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23054884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivylikeveins/pseuds/ivylikeveins
Summary: "The man before was nothing of his kind. Where Kageyama was frozen, he was burning. Where he was large, he was gracefully smaller, but not weaker in the slightest. Where he was black, navy; he was honeyed orange, molten chocolate. Where Kageyama’s skin was slightly highlighted with the pearly silver luminescence coming from the depths of his flesh, as his people’s did, the other’s skin glowed with the same light, but gold.Where Kageyama was of-No, it couldn’t be. The children of Sol didn’t exist.But what stood before Kageyama’s eyes, like the sun peeking behind the tallest of the mountains during sunrise, was the sole proof of what would be called a miracle."They encounter entangled in the midst of the gloom, as both of the young men stand before each other, so alien to each other’s kind and entranced at the sole proof of a myth.Two opposites have to survive in the depth of their weaknesses. They are hopelessly dependent to each other’s aid, whether they like it or not, until they both fulfil their aims.Everything goes downhill when this obligatory compromise swiftly develops into something much, much more.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Series: Solar Eclipse-Ring of Fire [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1656838
Comments: 19
Kudos: 45





	Solar Eclipse

**Author's Note:**

> I am SO HAPPY to finally upload and share this with you guys! 
> 
> This fic is my baby, and is the start of a huge project I have in mind. I am really excited since this is the very first chapter of this new series, and I am so proud of myself that I could actually finish the editing. Talk about the excess use of italics, ugh. Well done, me.
> 
> All of the information and details regarding this new alternative universe is explained throughout the chapter, but if there's anything you'd like me to clarify, please don't hesitate to ask.
> 
> All said, enjoy reading!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING WORK IS COPYRIGHT-PROTECTED. EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE CHARACTERS BELONG TO THE AUTHOR. THEREFORE, ANY KIND OF PLAGIARISM AND/OR THEFT WILL NOT BE TOLERATED AND WILL FACE LEGAL CONSEQUENCES.

His senses heightened with the almost blinding fog, chilly air raising the hair on his nape and arms like cautious blades as he took another step forward with his dagger raised in front of his chest, his forearm shielding his face and almost crouched, defensive position screaming threat to outsiders. At least, should have to the ones housing working survival instincts. 

His eyes started to burn with the intensity of the fog and he dimmed his eyelids, his heart beating at his ears and his breath heaving his chest as the almost solid wall of intense fog filled all of his senses; on his skin like icy linen, licking his eyes like fiery waves, filling his ears like deafeningly silent, dense explosions. The air escaping inside his lips as he inhaled a coating of bitter smoke. He continued his cautious steps forward. 

He couldn’t see it. Not yet. Whatever it was, it was either too far away or too advanced at hiding; hiding his sounds and visual and everything in between. Danger. 

He wasn’t prey. He’d never been prey. He wasn’t going to be prey, either. He charged as the smallest of golden light peeked its edge through the thick fog and waved like liquid fire, or lava, or bronze metal and Kageyama wasn’t sure whichever it was, but his eyes instinctually shielded themselves from the brightness with his eyelids dropping low and in a split second, there was warmth. Not warm enough to burn and cower, but to house a beating heart beneath flesh. He gasped and slung his dagger around. 

There was a sharp _clang,_ and a _whoosh,_ and the air cutting in half with something equally sharp as his own dagger or polar bear’s teeth or the brightness of liquid fire before him and he hissed as a new type of fire grazed the top of his left cheekbone, cutting it open and slick blood starting to pour accompanying the ripped skin, then flesh on top. 

His left cheekbone. So close to his eyes. The thing before him was right-handed. 

He acted quick amongst the total silence of the fight except the beating of the wild wind and his own pulse in his ears and the sharp taste of ozone coating his dry tongue and the blinding muddiness of the fog and he swung his terrifyingly naked and empty left hand to complete abyss. He knew it was a stupid move. He knew he could be grabbing straight towards the sharp blade of the stranger’s dagger to shatter his palm to pieces. But he did, nonetheless. 

And when his touch was met with equally alive warmth and not the icy, lifeless surface of what he would assume a dagger, he exhaled a sharp laugh of victory, and his warmer fingers circled completely and probably painfully around the thin wrist, feeling the stuttering of another’s warm pulse beneath his fiery fingertips once with a sharp gasp and in the blink of an eye he was on top of the firm, but so much smaller body of the outsider with both of them toppling to the cold, hard ground. Kageyama found the other small, almost delicate wrist on their way to the ground and in a quick and nimble motion of his own wrist, he felt the weight in his hands decrease and a loud, echoing _clank_ could be heard as the stranger’s weapon fell next to them. 

Kageyama panted against what he would assume was the stranger’s nape, larger limbs and body pressed so close together with the outsider’s smaller ones that there wasn’t even space for air between them to stop the wild, adrenaline sourced squirming of what was beneath, what he thought was liquid fire before tickling his nose with a heady, earthy scent as he felt the goosebumps rising at the neck of what was underneath him because of his breathing. Even though they were undoubtedly overpowered by Kageyama, they kept snarling, kept trying to break free from his grasp, fists tightening from where they’ve been caged together behind his back by Kageyama’s larger grip, knees trying to buckle to kick, hit, anything to get Kageyama off of him. Kageyama bent his neck, lips so close to the one’s ear, and Kageyama's own raven hair fell to drape over his eyes because of the odd angle. His heavy breathing hadn’t stopped as he spoke.

“Who are you?” His own voice was alien to him, a deep rumble rising from the bottom of his chest with adrenaline still evident in the strong vibrations, as well as the ecstasy that came with overpowering the threat. 

“Fuck you.” The body underneath him snarled and spat on his side, from where his cheek was harshly pressed by Kageyama’s free hand in its hair to the sharp pebbles decorating the cold ground. A he, a male, from the tone of his voice. Higher than Kageyama’s, but not high and squeaky enough to belong to a female. A nice, threatening rumble.

Kageyama scoffed and with a sharp roll of his chest and back, he pressed the body underneath even harder to the ground, thighs flexing where he had his knees either side of the young man’s hips, straddling his backside. He heard him shout, a rather high sound, voice filled more with anger than the pain he sure was in given the sharp pebbles digging every inch of his body. Kageyama dug his chin sharply to the back of the guy’s head and the guy hissed, the surprisingly soft strands ticklish, to keep the guy’s head pressed to the ground as he removed his left hand from his scalp. He felt the warmness of the slowly drying blood coating the cut on his cheekbone with the tip of his thumb, blindly collecting the goey liquid and smearing it on the guy’s nape, an act of dominance to force the latter to submission. He couldn’t see it because of the fog, but felt the soft skin beneath his thumb. He felt a growl vibrating through the smaller body, and he patiently waited until his energy ran out and after what felt like an eternity the sharp squirming turned into breathless panting. His body had gone slack. Kageyama bent his neck down again.

“There you go. Let’s try again. And this time, answer properly unless you want me to bite your fucking neck off.” The dangerous promise murmured through his lips to hit the shell of the other’s ear. There was shuddering underneath him.

“G-get off me!” The guy’s shaky voice was too high and loud for the close proximity they were in. Kageyama winced, annoyed. 

“I don’t have time for this.” He reached for the stranger’s dagger and it felt foreign beneath his grasp, almost too small for his grip but as heavy as his own, nonetheless. The stranger gasped when he heard the powerful screech of metal scraping the ground as Kageyama brought it closer and closer to his neck. He let out a desperate and what seemed like an involuntary shriek as he felt the sharp, frozen lick of the side of the blade against his skin, right on top of the major artery. Not close enough to pierce, but to tickle dangerously. Close enough for his pulse to catch on the sharp blade in each beat. 

“W-wait! Please, wait!” He was shaking underneath Kageyama, small heart beating as if to push free from the grasp of his ribcage. “P-please get off, I-I can’t breathe! I’ll tell you everything you want, just please, let me breathe!” He cried, wheezing to let air into his lungs from where Kageyama was forcing him to carry most of his weight on his back with his chest flush on Hinata’s back. There was nothing left from the silky rumble that was threatening Kageyama just minutes before, instead, all Kageyama could hear was the desperate panic, cruel horror and the heady cry for survival. 

“How do I trust that you won’t try anything?” His voice was terrifyingly cold even to his own ears. 

The warm weight underneath him had started to sob. He let out a sharp cry.

“C-can’t you see me?! Please, put the b-blade away, I need to breathe…” His voice trailed off to the sharpest wheeze yet, and, Kageyama supposed, his weight crushing the limited capacity of the guy’s lungs wouldn’t really let him try anything funny. Fair enough. 

He got off in a quick movement, but still pointed the dagger to the direction of the man. The smaller male started choking and coughing immediately, lungs gulping down air to fill greedily once again. He could see the outline of him, Kageyama realized. And at once, the absence of the thick fog kicked in when the stranger turned to face him and Kageyama was left with the bare image of the man before his eyes. His breath caught in his throat as they locked their gazes.

The man was nothing like anything he’d seen before. His big eyes, a shade of warm, warm honey brown, framed with almond-shaped eyelids with a graceful tug on the corners, were wide with adrenaline. Even though his soul had almost left his body, his gaze was strong, oh so strong and brave and Kageyama couldn’t help the shudder that escaped his body in waves. Soft but high arc of his cheekbones red and dirty with how they were pressed on the ground, small amount of dried blood escaping the assaulted skin here and there. A small, button nose and full, trembling lips underneath. His face almost lacked the sharp angles that masculinity brought, but there was something so… courageous and determined in the atmosphere around him that made it terrifying. His frame, small, graceful but strong. But what took Kageyama’s breath away, wasn’t any of that. 

Liquid fire. He was right. The strands framing his delicate face were anything but hair. Couldn’t be, with the absurd shine and contrasted hue and the golds, oranges, ruby, bronze, and everything in between. Kageyama swallowed. 

The man before was nothing of his kind. Where Kageyama was frozen, he was burning. Where Kageyama was large, he was gracefully smaller, but not weaker in the slightest. Where Kageyama was black, navy and the richest of silver, he was honeyed orange, molten chocolate and ruby red. Where Kageyama’s skin was ever so lightly highlighted with the pearly silver luminescence coming from the depths of his flesh, as his people’s did, his kind’s; the other’s skin glowed with the same light, but _gold._

Where Kageyama was of the Moon’s, the man-

No, it couldn’t be. It was merely just a myth. The children of Sol didn’t exist. 

But what stood before Kageyama’s eyes, like the sun peeking behind the tallest of the mountains during sunrise, was the sole proof of what would be called a _miracle._

As equally dilute eyes stared into each other with shock and realization, silence thick and heavy between them besides the other’s heavy breathing, their voices both decided to work at the same time.

“You’re of the Sol.”

“You’re of the Luna.”

They both winced when the dagger in Kageyama’s hand slipped and fell to the hard ground with three echoing _clanks._

Time stopped. All of his senses were blank, and overpowered at the same time. Overpowered with a warmth he’d never experienced before; warm hues his eyes never dared to gaze over, warm skin he cowered to dance the tips of each and every finger he had on top, and the constant, blurry ringing on his ears. 

He was too stunned for his sharp fighting instincts to react when the young man before him took a cautious and hesitant step forward. It was the smallest of steps, the bottom of his small foot not leaving the ground, couldn’t even be considered one if you pushed, but at that moment, it was one that equalled of running a hundred kilometres. 

Never breaking eye contact, he watched. Watched as the person before him took another tiny, giant step and continued inspecting him with stunned awe. He watched as soft lips parted and stayed agape, honey brown eyes burned across his skin; first his eyes, then his cheekbones, his jaw, neck, shoulders, arms, hands… Kageyama felt his cheeks warm as he couldn’t do anything but wait until the other was done but it felt like he wouldn’t, ever, that he was so mesmerized by whatever he found interesting in Kageyama’s body which was so alien to his own. Kageyama’s breath hitched in his throat when the guy’s eyes came back to meet his, neck craned up to match his gaze, and Kageyama only now realized how _close_ the young man’s come that he could feel the now calmed, short huffs of breath the other took burning across his chest. 

He tried to speak, he swears, but all that came our was an embarrassingly uncharacteristic choking. He let out a shaky breath and tried again.

“N-name… W-What's your name?” He cursed to the way his whisper lacked the confidence and terrifying stance he so proudly carried just minutes ago. Or maybe a few eternities. He wasn’t sure time was existent when his whole soul was swimming inside the warmth the guy’s irises brought, like warm, molten chocolate -hot, dense and heavy.

He couldn’t rip his gaze from his eyes to watch the ginger’s throat bob slightly as he swallowed. 

“H-Hinata,” He sounded uncertain, but how could he hold uncertainty in his voice when he was asked just his name? “H-Hinata Shouyou. Can I have yours, in return?” 

Kageyama nodded, a little dumbly, still stunned by the sight of the completely foreign image in front of him. So strange, that his mind never could’ve imagined -let alone thought of- bringing such bright, warm, _inviting_ hues together to create a young man with the same grace and chilling quality of an Arctic fox. “My name’s Kageyama. Kageyama Tobio,” he offered, their intense fight of life and death inside the fog long forgotten and resting in the deepest corners of his mind. 

He heard Hinata let out a shaky breath that dangerously resembled a genuine giggle as his gaze dropped on the floor, his ruby curls bouncing softly with the action and Kageyama’s heart swam in such warmth he’s never felt at his own home before. He was going to reciprocate, head fuzzy and warm and light when he saw the same eyes trail up to his face to make eye contact again and those eyes ripped a sudden shudder deep from his soul. 

This time, they lacked the sickly sweet warmth. Just cold, hard orbs of brown, like the ocean so misty with mud that the blue wasn’t visible anymore. 

With the swing of his arm so quickly that if Kageyama had blinked he’d missed it, Hinata jammed the blade of the dagger he’d apparently collected off the ground while he was approaching Kageyama, taking the vulnerability Kageyama was under with his sudden awe towards the Solan guy as the perfect opportunity to attack. Kageyama’s eyes widened and with a quick lean of his head and a step backwards, he ditched the powerful blow and the dagger swung on empty air just beside his head, leaving a high pitched _shrink_ of the sharp blade cutting the air in half. If Kageyama hadn’t acted so quickly, it would have been his neck. 

Turns out he hadn’t been quick enough as Hinata didn’t give him a chance to breathe after his first attack and swung his other arm towards him at the same time Kageyama’s back hit something hard and definitely solid -probably some kind of large rock. This attack hadn’t been aimed to kill though, as the other dagger Hinata was holding stopped right where it rested against Kageyama’s neck, close enough that he could feel the cold the metal was emitting on the sensitive skin of his neck. He didn’t like the familiarity. 

Kageyama stood completely still and panted, brows furrowing in confusion as he looked down where Hinata’s hand met the handle of a too-large dagger which then connected with his skin. 

The little shit had grabbed Kageyama’s dagger. 

Kageyama felt the solidness behind him. And now he had been cornered, too.

_Sneaky little shit._

Kageyama lifted his gaze a bit from the blade and met the same eyes that were so different than moments ago, now dilated with adrenaline and glaring _daggers_ into his soul, so sharp and dangerous as both of their chests heaved up and down with heavy breaths. 

Oh, how the tables have turned. 

Kageyama Tobio had never been prey. But once again, as he stared deep into honeyed amber eyes, he felt like drowning. Cornered. 

_Thrilled._

“Listen here, _Kageyama Tobio,_ ” God, the way the snarl dripped with venom. “I don’t give a fuck on who or what the hell you are, but believe me, I will not hesitate to kill you this instant.” Kageyama’s eyes dropped low on where he’d put the dagger close to Hinata’s neck and saw a bright dash of dried blood. Well, if this was payback, might as well do it properly. 

“Do it then.” The challenge stood between them, bold and solid and tempting as a teasing smirk stretched between his lips. He didn’t miss the hitch of Hinata’s breath when Kageyama stepped closer to him, dragging the dagger deeper into his neck. Not enough to pierce skin yet, but just might. His voice softer than velvety silk as he spoke.

“Do it. Rip my throat apart. It would only take a tiny movement of your wrist.” He took another step closer, now feeling the sting of the blade just scraping the top layer of skin with the tiniest drops of blood accompanying. He felt Hinata’s shaking hands right in his core. “I have no doubt in my mind that your pretty hands would look even more beautiful with my blood coating your tiny little fingers.” Hinata shivered, as if imagining the liquid warmth over his fingertips. For a second, with the way his amber eyes fired up, Kageyama thought he was actually going to do it. His assumption was proved when he felt the hitch, the tiny start of sharp movement of Hinata’s wrist on his neck. 

Kageyama never stopped staring deep into those bright eyes as he got ready for the sharp impact. The challenge in his heady gaze never receded. 

Hinata scoffed, and swung the dagger in the opposite direction and let it fall to the ground with a loud clank, before turning around and starting to walk away.

“I thought you didn’t have time for this.”

Small droplets of rain had started to fall down to the ground beneath. Kageyama bent his neck to face the sky, gazing at the angry, grey clouds approaching them as drop after drop wet his face. Hinata’s footsteps became quieter as the distance between them grew. 

“I thought you wouldn’t hesitate.” 

The soft thumping of footsteps stopped. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hinata spat. Kageyama turned his face away from the sky and to him, increasing rain licking strands of his hair. 

“I saw it. Hesitation. You think you’re so tough, but I saw right through your eyes.” He lied. 

Hinata waited, delicate features shifting into a glare, daring Kageyama to continue.

“You’re not one of mine, and this is my territory. You won’t last a day if you can’t even flick your wrist right.” Kageyama knew he was pushing it. He just couldn’t help the thrill. 

“You’re bluffing,” Hinata accused. 

He was. Well, half-bluffing. It was true that if he hadn’t had mercy on Hinata when he cried so desperately underneath him and flicked his wrist, he’d be dead by now. He shrugged, indifferent, and turned his back to walk away. The rain was full-on pouring right now. 

He could only take three steps when the piece of sunshine shouted behind him. 

“Wait!” 

He turned his back and saw the young man running towards him. Hinata stopped when he reached in front of Kageyama and tried to catch his breath, the clothing that barely covered his skin now soaking wet. His curls were drenched a darker shade of orange, almost a red, but still mesmerizing as they stuck on his forehead and droplet after droplet fell on his neck and cheeks from the tip of each strand. He was shivering. 

“I can’t survive in here. Not in the cold.” Honeyed eyes met piercing ice. 

Kageyama raised a sharp brow. “I don’t see how that’s any of my business.”

Hinata let out an impatient breath. “But neither can you, dumbass. Yes, maybe when it’s still your territory you can, but once you step on mine… You don’t know the hot. You won’t be able to handle it.” He took a step closer. “Not without aid.” 

Kageyama saw the determination shining on the deep, deep honey brown. Hinata was right. Though, he wasn’t going to give in so easily. 

“Your point is?” 

Hinata huffed, frustrated, teeth clanking from the cold. He raised his voice for Kageyama to hear him with the sharp wind and the continuous pouring of the rain, almost shouting.

“Don’t play dumb, you asshole! My point is, that we can make a- a compromise. S-Stick together until we’ve passed both of our weakness points, and get the fuck out of each other’s lives!” The heavy rain was making the low luminescence shine even brighter from beneath his skin, creating a golden halo around his petite body and the gleamy atmosphere of the rain. 

_He looks like an angel,_ Kageyama thought. 

They stood there in silence for a moment, only the sound of heavy rain and the wild howling of the wind, Hinata looking at him with his soft brows arched in expectancy. He frowned and dropped his head low in defeat, facing the now slippery ground and his curls did the same bounce thing again, seemingly giving up and just as he was about to leave without a single word, Kageyama reached forward and circled the same thin wrist with his fingers but so much softer and more careful than before, Hinata’s skin freezing and shivering beneath his fiery touch and Kageyama realized just how _cold_ he must be. 

Hinata’s head shot up from where he was facing the ground and met his eyes. 

“Come on,” Kageyama nudged the wrist he was holding gently to get him moving, “We need to get you out of the rain.”

Hinata Shouyou knew he was so carelessly playing a dangerous game of Russian roulette. With every empty tick of the trigger resting calmly against his forefinger, he knew, that once the slot which the sharp, awaiting bullet was resting aligned with the trigger, he was done for. 

He knew the risky chase for death was alarming, but in a way that it was essential for him to survive, too. 

And the thrill that came with was so… _sweet._

His mind was distractingly loud as he stared amazedly to the wild, roaring storm outside the dim, narrow cave. He was crouched on his knees near the round opening, the ‘door’ Hinata wanted to call, which exposed them to the wild; near enough to see the blurry, wet mess of the exterior but not enough for angry droplets of heavy rain to hit anywhere on his body; for the sharp knives of the icy wind to lick his face dry. 

The humid, stale air inside the cave coated his tongue with a sour blanket, one that wasn’t unpleasant but had Hinata swallow to refresh the coating of spit more than usual. His shivering had stopped, mainly due to the way the small fire Kageyama had lit inside the narrow cavern caressed his face in waves, so invitingly warm.

The soft feel of the linen -which he had originally worn around his shoulders as protection from possible sunburns- was damp and thin on his fingertips as he continued working over his equally drenched hair, soft droplets of water falling down from the tips of his hair to join the dark marks of numerous others on the stone ground with lithe movements of his wrist aimed to dry his hair. It wasn’t doing a really good job though, as the soft material in his grasp wasn’t meant for the damp, but the unbearable hot in the way it was so thin Hinata could see the other side through the linen if he lifted it, ever so slightly. 

The crooked walls hosting them for the night, or until the crazy storm outside calmed, were washed in blood oranges, yellows and ambers; the luminescence the small blotch of flames emitted got reflected once they reached the stone walls. 

Hinata felt at home, in the most foreign, strangest way possible. Not with the way he was alone on a completely alien land and with the stranger he had so suspiciously trusted enough for him to let him bring Hinata under a roof, but with the warm hues; the blood fire, the topaz yellow walls, and his amber-apricot self.

On the corner of his vision, though, there was something so… _incongruous_ in the scene; contradictory to the warm gathering of colours before his eyes. 

The young man was crouched in front of him, creating the impression of swallowing up every inch of free space inside the restricted area of the cave with his large but lean, powerful frame; slowly feeding and stirring the reluctant fire between them, sharp eyes unfocused, seemingly in deep thought, as he stared dazedly into the flames dancing beneath his grasp. 

Kageyama Tobio was surely nothing like anything Hinata had ever dared to let his eyes graze upon. 

When he’d seen him on the foggy field for the first time, Hinata couldn’t help the lump of breath that hitched in the back of his throat. The young man looked around his age, but the way he had been manufactured was oh so different. He remembered wandering his gaze on the sharp, angular lines of his cheekbones, his jaw, his neck, his collarbones connecting strong, wide shoulders, his eyes -oh his eyes, the moonlight glow of the icy orbs with raven lashes framing the elegant shape, glare screaming threats. 

_Get away from me. I’m threat. I’m dangerous. I’m powerful._

The son of the moon was the most gorgeous man Hinata had ever seen in his entire life. 

And at that moment, with how his normally cool color palette was heavily contrasted by the golden hues inside the narrow cave from the blotch of flames -how his cheekbones looked even sharper, his jaw looked even stronger, his hair even softer and elegant and his eyes, _oh my god his EYES-_

-were looking straight into his. One sharp brow raised. Oddly -irritated? Curious?

“What.” Oh. Irritated. 

Hinata’s eyes refocused, and he tried to look anywhere but the overly gorgeously handsome and strong and capable young man in front of him, blood rushing to rest right on top of his cheekbones. Slightly. 

“Ah. Um. What?” Why was his tongue so dry all of a sudden?

“Why were you staring at me? Did you need something? Are you cold?” Kageyama fully turned to face him from where he was crouched between Hinata and the door of the cave and Hinata realized Kageyama was _shielding him_ from the cold that might have escaped into the interior from the opening _with his body_ and he-

And that didn’t mean anything. Hinata had an aim to fulfil. And considering how this guy had his freezing sharp dagger stuck to Hinata’s throat, catching his rapid pulse and how if he hadn’t made a pathetic, whimpering mess of himself underneath Kageyama his guts would be all over the foggy ground, Hinata thought, he wasn’t the perfect trusting material. 

Well. This little relationship slash compromise he had with the stranger wasn’t built on trust, anyway. Kageyama was merely fulfilling his part of the deal. And when the time came, Hinata would fulfil his. 

And if he ever dared to try anything funny, Hinata had shown him how capable he was too. Capable of slitting his throat in half, in an overwhelmingly quick second. He wouldn’t, ever, h-

_"I saw it."_

Hinata sucked in a breath at the rushing memory coming to the front of his mind.

_"Hesitation."_

_He’s so full of bullshit,_ Hinata thought. It had been a bluff, it had to be, but still, it sat very solid and very uncomfortably at the bottom of his stomach; getting heavier and heavier until it was merely but an anchor sinking Hinata to the ground, cutting all of his abilities to move. 

As he noticed the same, indifferent expression gracing the other’s face, staring, he realized Kageyama’s continuing await for a possible answer.

He shook his head and his ear caught the low _tss_ the droplets falling from the tips of his curls made when they hit the fire. “Oh. Don’t worry about me. I was just-“

“…how?” 

Hinata went quiet at Kageyama’s shaky exhale. 

He knew what Kageyama was talking about. Hinata himself still wasn’t over the initial shock of seeing Kageyama for the first time. He could only assume it was the same for him, too. 

Instead of an answer, he let his excuse of a scarf fall to the ground with a soft _thud,_ and crawled next to where Kageyama was observing him, moonlit eyes never leaving his form. When Hinata left the fire which was initially between him and Kageyama behind him, now facing the lunar man with no obstacles, he stopped. He stopped, and let both of them observe each other as long as they wanted this time. 

Hinata was on his knees, palms on the ground to balance his weight and neck craned up to be able to match Kageyama’s intense gaze. Now, without the fire warming both of their fronts, Hinata shuddered when a wave of the cold storm outside licked its way through, snaking around his naked shoulders and neck in the lack of the linen. Kageyama followed the smallest of the vibrations with his eyes. 

Now that Hinata had cut the source of warm colours to reflect on the other young man’s angular face, he could see the was his own shadow was blanketing the curious expression. Could see the way raven brows were slightly pulled together as a way of concentration, how dishevelled and still damp hair stuck to his forehead, as dark as the nighttime without the Sun, and a pink tongue slightly peeking its tip to wet soft, defined lips under a highlighted cupid’s bow. 

And, now that Hinata was so close, he could feel the immense warmth radiating from the young man; so welcoming and comforting and _home._ Could smell the sharp ice, the ozone, the musky _cold_ deep in his skin, heavily contrasting his body temperature. And, finally, something that he hadn’t noticed before, something so, so _different-_

Right under his skin, there was the faintest of glows, a silver luminescence emitting from the depths of his body. The gleaming was all over Kageyama; the sharp lines of his neck and collarbones, connecting strong, wide shoulders, muscular arms hidden behind a tight, long-sleeved black shirt. A narrow and lean waist, which was only visible now that Kageyama had taken off his huge, icy blue fur coat and gloves and set aside to let them dry. 

Kageyama shifted where he was on his knees, neck bent to loom over the smaller male, and fed some more dry branches to the fire that was slowly dimming behind Hinata. The crinkling of the burning branch mixed with the howling of the heavy storm outside of the cave. 

Hinata turned his head to watch the fire burn. 

“I could say the same thing about you.” His own voice felt alien to his ears; soft and echoey inside the narrow cavern, layering on top of the crinkling fire and wailing storm. “I’ve never seen anything like you before. The cold, the large stance, the silver…” He spun his head around, slightly, to be able to peep deep, deep at the dimmed icy eyes again. “You really are a piece of the moonlight.” 

Kageyama didn’t give a verbal answer, just continued staring at Hinata with that heady gaze of his. 

When Kageyama’s sight focused on somewhere on his neck, Hinata got more aware of the dull, continuous thudding near his collarbones. He raised his hand to run the tip of his index and middle finger over the dried blood. He winced with the sharp pain blooming at the cut.

Kageyama’s stare didn’t flinch. 

After a moment of silence but the crackle of the flame and the echoing howl of the storm, Hinata asked;

“Why didn’t you kill me?” Their continuous stare deep in each other’s eyes was solid, dense.

Kageyama thought for a minute. 

“…I guess I took pity.“ Hinata scoffed, cold, and made a move to get up because _he didn’t want to deal with this shit right now._

The anchor in the pit of his stomach weighted. 

“Wait.” He felt Kageyama reach for his forearm to stop him, and as soon as those burning fingertips gently closed over his freezing skin, Hinata _melted._

“I don’t need anyone’s pity, _Kageyama Tobio._ ” He spat.

“I know. I’m…” He heard Kageyama take a breath. “I’m sorry.”

Hinata just blankly stared at his face. _What?_

“For this-“ He slowly reached for the large cut on Hinata’s neck but stopped millimetres away from it, just let his thumb hover over the dried blood close enough for Hinata to feel the heat radiating from his skin on the junction connecting his neck and shoulder. 

Hinata stared. He stared at the way the icy cold eyes seemed to melt, just a bit to reveal the slightest tint of softness to appear and in the blink of an eye the harsh blue of chilly eyes was replaced by the sky; so light and blue and free and warm and alive, _inviting._ Hinata felt the warmest, softest caress over the large cut on his neck with the way Kageyama’s eyes travelled through it, which was strange because _nothing was touching him._

Before Hinata could comprehend the sudden warmth the foreigner offered, the light sky was gone in a millisecond, leaving the previous, indifferent chill of the ice behind. 

“I mean, if you hadn’t been an absolute idiot to attack something nearly twice your size-“ Kageyama’s accusation felt like icy water running down his neck and back, quickly shaking the daze and the fluffy, cloudy feelings off of Hinata. He argued back.

“ _You_ attacked _me_!” 

“Because you nearly cut my whole neck off! Twice!” They were shouting, the deafening rumble of the storm outside completely drowned by their fiery argument.

Hinata straightened, neck no longer craned up to let Kageyama hover over him, but now a straight, confident demeanour. He threw his hands around to argue animatedly.

“I saw the way you got all hunched and ready to ambush.” He scoffed again, as if what Kageyama was implying sounded funny. “I was _not_ going to give you the chance of getting the first hit-“ 

“So what, you just aim for the neck without any thought or strategy? Even though the holder of the said neck is literally stronger and so much bigger than you?” Kageyama laughed, but the sound had no hints of entertainment, nor joy in it. It sent frozen shivers down his spine. Hinata could feel the slight sting of his eyes, hinting incoming tears of frustration. 

_Get yourself together! Who cries in the middle of an argument?_

God, he hated the way his body worked.

“Don’t assume shit about my strength. And what was I supposed to do, hide and wait?! Cower and pray that the big, strong Lunar doesn’t find me?!” His voice had gone high with the way he was fiercely contending.

This seemed to catch Kageyama off-guard. 

“…I suppose not.” He was quieter. Even though his voice didn’t hold the same fierce harshness from before, he resumed after a second of hesitant pause. 

“Doesn’t change the fact that you’re still a giant dumbass though. If you don’t start thinking and evaluating before you actually act, you’re gonna get yourself killed in here.” He seemed thoughtful, as if his mind was elsewhere while he stood in front of Hinata, arguing. 

“That’s why we’re stuck together, aren’t we?” Hinata offered, softly. He stuck his eyes to the ground, where his bare toes met the hard, stone ground of the cave. He didn’t really have it in him to continue this little staring contest he had with Kageyama at the moment. 

Amongst the warm crackling of the ruby fire, he heard Kageyama answer, reciprocating the softness Hinata had in his voice. 

“I guess we are.”

Quietly, he retreated; grabbing another dry branch to feed the fire with. He sat down, still shielding Hinata from the cold outside with his body. He stretched his arms on top of his knees, back bent to reach the small flames. 

Hinata sighed and went to sit next to Kageyama, leaning his naked back to one of the crooked walls. 

They were silent for a few minutes, just Kageyama stirring the flames back to life and Hinata enjoying the warmth that radiated in waves off of both the small piece of fire before him, and the rather less small piece of moonlight next to him. The feel of being in a warm and safe interior while the outside was roaring with the strong storm made him feel giddy and nice, _comfortable_. He closed his eyes and let the sweet crackle of the equally warm flames fill his senses. Hinata realized that he almost fell asleep when his ears caught Kageyama exhaling a shaky sigh. 

When he looked at the young man again, Hinata saw, just how exhausted he looked. So deep in thought. Hinata wondered, surprisingly for the first time, what a Lunar guy might be doing this far away from his home, almost on the border where the temperature was neutral?

He knew he had bluffed Kageyama into making him help Hinata in the Lunar land, saying he would not survive in the Solar, even though he had no idea that the young man would have any intention of breaching the mid-section and traveling to the warmth. Was that really the case? And why?

“Why are you here, Kageyama?” He called. 

He saw the way the guy dropped the stick he was stirring the fire with as Hinata’s sudden question cutting the thick silence open startled him a bit. 

He raised a brow. “Why do you ask, all of a sudden?”

Hinata thought for a moment. How could he say, _Who on their right mind would want to travel this far away from civilization, all alone, and decide to aid a complete stranger with their so-called “noble journey?”_ in a polite way?

“You seemed to be deep in thought.” He could stick with this for now. 

Kageyama didn’t answer for a moment. Hinata watched the way the golden light emitted from the flame danced on his furrowed brows and thoughtful face, framed by strands of elegant raven hair. The silence between them stretched so far that Hinata almost gave up hope and went back to his half-sleep because, fair enough, if Kageyama didn’t want to answer his a little-too-personal question then who was Hinata to persist? 

Hinata sunk back to his previous position, lying his head comfortably on his own shoulder when he heard Kageyama answer in a nice, low rumble of his voice. 

“I.. I was chosen.” Hinata straightened up so quickly that he saw small stars appearing on his vision. “I was… decided that I was the smarter and more capable one amongst the other subjects. _It is a great honour to be chosen in this way to be the arbiter of Destiny; to carry the Luna’s dignity and glacial protection amongst blood while seeking and stepping on treacherous, scorching soil of the Sol._ ” He didn’t look at Hinata, just continued talking while he stared at the soft dance of the flame before him, expressing the last bit as if a mantra that he had memorized. “I am meant to get recognized by the Solar Queen; oath my soul, my heart and the moonlight in my blood to keep the existence of the Sol hidden. Collect essential information about the forbidden land for the Lunar scientists, and then get back to the frozen acreage in one piece.”

Hinata froze. 

_I was right._

He didn’t realize the way Kageyama was staring at him after a solid five seconds, trying to comprehend the new information in stunned silence, and when he did, Hinata let out a really smart squeak. 

“Huh? Did you say something?” 

Kageyama let out a soft huff of laughter. “I asked why _you_ were here.”

All of a sudden, Hinata felt a little self-conscious. After the very… impressive and noble explanation Kageyama gave Hinata about his quest, Hinata was reluctant to tell him his reasoning. He collected his legs for his thighs to press against his chest, and hugged his knees as he felt a little light-headed from all the blood rushing to his face. 

When he saw Kageyama’s expectant face from the corner of his eye, he knew, there was no escape. He mumbled his answer. 

“…I volunteered.” He felt the vibrations of his own voice deep inside his head, from where his mouth was pressed to the back of his left hand, right next to his cheek. 

“What?” Kageyama exclaimed, eyes wide. Hinata knew Kageyama didn’t ask for a repetition. He continued, just wanting to get this over with.  
“You heard me. I know I’m not the most…beneficial or fit person for the duty. But they chose Natsu.” Hinata raised his head to look at Kageyama in disbelief. “My little sister. Natsu! They decided she was exceptionally bright and capable; which is true, she’s the smartest person I’ve ever known in my entire life…” He stopped and just stared at Kageyama in consternation. “She’s twelve!” 

Hinata was fully out of his defensive, withdrawn position crouched near the wall now with the hysteria taking over his body, back straight and hands flying everywhere animatedly. “You might call me foolish. It’s not like I had a choice. She wouldn’t survive a second once she breached the Solan gates! The council of Sol are out of their mind! Sending a little girl deep into the freakishly dangerous unknown…” 

He felt the familiar sting of his eyes again, and _not now, please not now, if he cried at this exact moment he would-_ “She cried so much, Kageyama. First, because she was terrified that she was destined to explore the forbidden land. But after, she knew I wouldn’t let her. The only way to prevent her from going was to…” His voice trailed off and all it took was a small hiccup to let the full teardrops fall. He hated himself for it. “So I volunteered. She was terrified…” 

He faced the fire, anywhere other than Kageyama’s stupid face as he tried to hide his teardrops from him. He waited and listening to the gentle fire as he let his lungs gulp down air until he was calm again. He wiped the tears with a harsh movement of the back of his hand, and fixed his face onto a stone-cold expression before he turned his head to face Kageyama again. 

“In the end, I’m stuck in here for God knows how long, until I show myself to your King, make an oath or whatever, and go back home with absolutely nothing. If I don’t freeze to death, that is.”

Kageyama was silent. Hinata was silent. The fire and the boisterous storm; Hinata’s soft, unavoidable hiccups as he desperately tried to stop stubborn tears from falling down his flushed cheeks weren’t. 

Hinata felt the sickly sweet, sticky binds of sleep pulling him to the depths of unconsciousness once again. Besides, the throbbing dullness of a headache he got after a crying session was tiring enough to urge him to return to the comfort of his closed eyelids. He was conscious of the way his breathing slowed, the blank lacuna of his mind enlarging and his eyelids weighing even though they were already closed and Hinata was so warm, and _he could just sleep in here;_ curled up in himself and head tucked on top of his left shoulder and with the protection of the young man crouched beside him-

“How did you come this far? I mean, you’ve got absolutely no preparation and, no offense, but your survival instincts are shit.” Hinata slowly blinked his eyes open at Kageyama’s mocking tone, but surprisingly, he couldn’t find any criticism nor rudeness in the gentle voice. Just pure curiosity or maybe, just maybe, the aim to lighten up the mood. 

He let out a soft laugh. “I guess I’m stronger than I look.” He shut his eyes to return to the honey-sweet palace of sleepiness. 

Wait.

He shot his eyes wide open and rose up to his feet so quickly that his brain couldn’t comprehend what he was trying to do and Hinata saw a slight darkness with small stars appear on his vision from his sudden movement. He ran the minimal space between where he was crouched before and where Kageyama was sat, feeding the fire, almost nocking the said flame off and dropped to his knees, hands placed on both of Kageyama’s wide shoulders to lock his thrilled eyes to ocean blue ones wide with surprise.

“Woah, what-“ When Hinata lost his balance from supporting his whole weight on one knee -plus the sudden and fast movement-, Kageyama instinctually held up his hands to prevent Hinata from falling face-first into the fireplace, his strong grip sitting gently on either side of Hinata’s hips, leaving large and fiery traces on his skin along with the faint fade of silver glow on gold luminescence.

_“What do you mean this far?”_ Hinata demanded. He was hyperventilating from the sudden rush of adrenaline through his veins, accompanying his rapid pulse. 

“W- What are you talking about?” Kageyama’s eyes were nearly as wide as his, Hinata supposed, his grip still securely tight on his hips and Hinata’s hands clenched where he was holding onto Kageyama’s shoulders for dear life. He let their breaths mix from how close they were, and watched as a beautiful shade of rose slightly painted on top of Kageyama’s cheekbones. So minimal that if he hadn’t thrown himself this close to Kageyama and invaded his earth scented personal space, he might have missed it.

_Probably a trick of light from the fire,_ Hinata thought.

The powerful and dense eye contact of honeyed amber and icy moonlight never wavered as they both caught their breaths of surprise. Kageyama’s radiant body heat was close to being overwhelming in this proximity.

“Look.” Hinata finally broke the heady eye contact to blindly fondle with the small bag he had grabbed before leaving home, shaky hands searching for something. 

Kageyama did nothing but wait quietly. 

Finally, Hinata found what he was looking for- even though it was crumpled, the images drawn neatly on the map were still visible. He bent down next to the fire for better light and laid the large paper on the ground for Kageyama to see. 

Laid before both of their eyes, there was a thick piece of parchment paper with a semi-circle drawn on it. On the top left corner, there was a very detailed and elegant drawing of the sun which radiated streaks of warmth to the whole semi-circle. The diameter of the semi-circle was the very bottom of the map, almost like it was actually a piece of a whole circle, like a puzzle piece. Inside the globe, there were multiple geographic elements and a huge ocean all around the land. The parchment was bathed in millions of different shades of gold, orange and red because of the fire next to it. 

“This is a map of where I came from. The Solar Acreage.” Hinata started to explain quickly, still high on adrenaline and shaky fingers flying around to animate his clarification. 

“This is where I came from. I walked all the way to here,” Hinata made an arc beginning from the very north of the semi-circle and ending right on top of the very bottom edge of the map. “And after this point, the map ended. But I continued moving forward. And soon after I passed the land known to us and stepped into the unknown soil,” Hinata raised his gaze to face Kageyama who was looming over him and looked deep, deep into his eyes, “I met you.” 

Time did not pass when he was eye to eye with the handsome Lunar man. Hinata’s gaze followed the way Kageyama’s eyes widened in realization. 

“Wait.” This time, it was Kageyama’s turn to urgently search for something in his own bag, left hand still fit securely on Hinata’s hip. 

Hinata watched as Kageyama pulled out a parchment paper of his own, nearly the same size as Hinata’s, and placed it right underneath the Solar map. 

Hinata gasped.

Before them stood a full map made out of two semi-circles in two different parchment papers; the top one, Hinata’s, was drawn with golden-brown ink on the tinted orange surface and the bottom one, Kageyama’s, was drawn with plain black ink on silver and azure tinted paper. On the top left corner of the combined pieces of maps, was an extravagant illustration of the sun, and at the bottom right corner, the elegant moon was radiating silvery glow. 

The Solar and the Lunar young men stared at the completed circle before them, rendered speechless at the how well the geographical elements designed on both of the parchments fit snugly together, and at the sight of a full map neither of them had ever seen before. 

Hinata felt Kageyama’s warm and solid weight shift behind him as he, too, leaned over the maps to point at specific areas of his own. 

“I don’t suppose I have the exact location we are at marked, either. In my map, I mean. But we should be somewhere around-“ he drew an invisible path with his forefinger, starting from where Hinata’s hand was showing his guess of the whereabouts of their location and ending at a spot so close to the diameter, the edge dividing the two semi-circles, but slightly to the south. “Here. Which means you have travelled almost halfway.” He turned his gaze to Hinata. “Without any preparation nor training…how could you do that?”

In stark contrast to his tone earlier when he asked the exact same question just minutes before, this time Kageyama had no trace of amusement. Just pure astonishment.

Hinata swallowed. “There wasn’t any unbearable cold until right here, where I met you, I guess.” He pointed his forefinger to a certain spot in the map which was almost right in the middle. “From what I’ve experienced, in the northern half of the Earth -which is until where we are right now, warmth outweighs the cold, so that means it’ll-“

“It’ll be even harder for me.” Kageyama completed Hinata’s sentence with a strange bitterness hiding in his tone, still inspecting the combined maps. 

“…that’s the case, yes. Don’t worry though, I’m going to do my part as well as I can. We made a deal, after all.” From the side of his eye, Hinata spared a quick glance at the man next to him through his lashes and let the slight pull of the corner of his lips tease his face. “You’re not dying anytime soon on my watch, thank you very much. At least, not of heatstroke.” He bulged his right arm to flex his thin biceps, showcasing the slight, elegant build of muscle there jokingly. “Can’t promise you safety if you annoy me enough, though, which you have accomplished successfully thus far.” 

Kageyama scoffed, mocking, as if the idea of Hinata beating him up was nothing but a prospect to laugh at -which, by the way, it was obvious that the man was far stronger built than he was (even though Hinata would never admit out loud), and the chances of Hinata winning in a fight without any weapons seemed slim. That made the idea of a fight all the more alluring.

The wild storm outside spat a particularly loud and angry growl, and Kageyama’s fine brows furrowed as he tilted his head towards the gate of the cave slightly to face the blast. His eyes never left the blurry mess of greyish hues of the outdoors as he spoke.

“The storm doesn’t look like it’s going to end soon. We should just spend the night here.”

Hinata said nothing and let the crackling fire softly fill the small silence stretched between them like finest linen. Kageyama’s soft voice complimented the flames with a low, silky rumble as he continued. 

“The town I came from is about a week away from here if we don’t stop walking except to sleep. We need another five days to get you to the city, and to the King.” He turned his face to give Hinata’s trembling and almost-naked body a displeased once-over. Hinata felt the faintest warmth rush on his cheeks.“Though, the chances of you not dying of hypothermia are, like, zero as soon as we step into the snow. Not with those clothing, anyway. There’s a small village I got food when I was coming here and it should be one or two days away, we’ll get you some clothes from there. Until then-“ Hinata watched the fine line of his waist, back and arm as Kageyama stretched to grab his now dry and overly large fur coat. He leaned to let it drop to Shouyo’s lap, and Hinata gasped at the heavy weight of it contrasting the silky softness on his lap. “you can wear mine.”

Hinata gaped, dumbly. “What about you?” 

Kageyama’s moonlit eyes finally met Hinata’s. “Did you not notice how high my body temperature is? Our kind is born to live in the cold, so our bodies are adapted and have to balance the temperature. I would assume it is the same for you too; you’re cooler because you have to balance out with the hot.” Kageyama retreated his hand and let it rest on his side, and only then Hinata realised that he had not let the coat go until this very moment. Kageyama exhaled a soft breath, almost letting a chuckle escape his lips. “Besides, I never wore coats at home anyway.”

Hinata’s gaze dropped to the heavy weight of the large coat limply resting on the bare skin of his lap and ran a hand through the fur on the inside. _Warm_. He frowned.“I feel like it’s going to be bad… if you go out to a weather like this with basically nothing on.” He felt uneasy; the thought of wearing the only protection Kageyama had against the unforgiving cold felt unfair.

“It’s going to be worse if _you_ go out with basically nothing on,” Kageyama argued back, voice cold and finalising. “It’s not even cold yet and look at you. Shivering to death.” Hinata rolled his eyes up to meet Kageyama’s face as there was no room left for further debate, only to find him staring at Hinata with such intensity he had never shown before. 

It was as if liquid fire met piercing ice when their eyes met, the touch sizzling in the warmth of the cavern. Neither of them said anything for a few moments. 

Finally, Kageyama spoke and Hinata felt ice knives of goosebumps rise on the back of his nape, so much like what happened when he first saw a large shadow in the blurry fog but oh so different; it was dizzying.

“You can’t die on me. I don’t want that on my conscience.”

Hinata nodded.

**Author's Note:**

> I have plans for this fic. Big plans.
> 
> If you enjoyed it, please leave a kudos and let me know what you think through comments! <3


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